It was Inter who had the first shot on target of the match on nine minutes as Mike Maignan had to get down smartly to stop Joaquin Correa’s drive from the edge of the box, before a vital intervention by Tammy Abraham virtually on the goalline prevented Stefan de Vrij from heading in the opener following a whipped Hakan Calhanoğlu free-kick.
Rafael Leao had a largely ineffectual game up until the 26th minute, but he was the first Milan player to test Josep Martinez, who stuck out a boot to deny the Portugal international from close range.
Martinez was then quick off his line to thwart Abraham, before at the other end, a swerving Çalhanoğlu set-piece was pushed over the bar by Maignan, who not long after that moment had to be alert to repel Davide Frattesi’s bouncing header, although the Inter midfielder will perhaps feel that he should have opened the scoring.
The contest definitely improved as the first half progressed, but both Sergio Conceição and his opposite number Simone Inzaghi will have wanted to see greater attacking quality from their respective sides heading into the second half.
And the deadlock was duly broken on 47 minutes as Alex Jimenez’s pass somehow squeezed its way through to Youssouf Fofana, who nudged the ball to Abraham, with the Englishman taking a touch out of his feet before firing unerringly into Martinez’s far corner.
Inzaghi will have been tearing his hair out at the Nerazzurri’s defending for that goal, but he will have been pleased with the immediate response as Nicolo Barella’s curler was parried away by Maignan before a 67th-minute equaliser from former Rossoneri midfielder Calhanoglu, who hammered home from 25 yards following Correa’s lay-off.
The game could easily have turned on its head 12 minutes later as Marcus Thuram’s cross flicked off Théo Hernandez’s heel and found Nicola Zalewski at the back post, with the Pole denied instinctively by Maignan.
Leão was then a whisker away from a spectacular curling winner, but neither side was ultimately able to take a lead into the second leg, with this the sixth successive Derby della Madonnina to see both teams score.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Mike Maignan (AC Milan)